Bottle crate



1 1941. F. G. KRUEGER ET AL BOTTLE CRATE Filed Aug. 17, 1937 ORNEY.

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 STATS BOTTLE CRATE Fred G. Krueger, Norwood, andFred H. Hudepohl, St. Bernard, Ohio 2 Claims.

Our invention relates to crates, and more especially to crates used forcontaining milk bottles in the dairy business.

A recent development in this business has been the provision on themilkbottles of lettering or other display matter which maybe marred or wornoff by too violent contact of the sides of the bottles bearing thismatter with the partition structure of the crate. Also, there is ademand for less noise in the handling of the bottles into and out of thecrates during delivery of the milk at early morning hours in apartmentbuildings and residence districts. Both of these developments havecalled for cushioning of the crate structure at those areas where thebottles make contact during insertion and removal. It is to thiscushioning that our present invention is directed, with the especialobject of effectively preventing the abrasion and noise and lesseningtheliability of breakage of the bottles, by a simple, readily assembledconstruction involving a minimum of material yet affording amplestrength as is required in such crates. Other and minor objects willappear in the course of the following description, illustrated by theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of abottle crate embodying our invention, nearer wall portions being brokenaway and omitted and indicated only by dotted lines, thereby fullyrevealing the interior structure of the crate, in which interiorstructure our invention is involved;

Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view corresponding to the View ofinterior structure in Fig. 1, showing a modification of the connectingmeans for the crossing wires or rods;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing modified supporting beams inconjunction with our invention, and modified connections;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail side elevation showing the connection ofdetails of our invention to longitudinal supporting wires or rods at thebottom of the crate, as well as illustrating more fully the preferredconnection of the cushion bearing vertical rods to the upper partitionwires or rods;

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 4, furtherillustrating the connection to the lower longitudinal wire or rod;

Fig. 6 is an elevation corresponding to the section 55, showing morefully the modification of the lower connection shown in Fig. 3, on theline 66 of that figure;

Fig. '7 is a partial vertical section on the line I'I of Fig. showingthe connection of the cushion-bearing rod to the beam in the example ofFigs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical cross sectional elevation, the section being thaton the line 88 of Fig. 3, more clearly showing the modified connectionof the cushion bearing rod with the channel beam as shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. l a crate of conventional design is shown, it being understoodthat we are not limited to details of the wall structure, or the corner,edge or stacking guide construction, nor fully to the interior detailsshown therein. It is sufficient for purposes of illustrating ourinvention to explain that the crate has two end Walls I and 2 and twoside walls 3 and 4, which are shown solid for simplicity ofillustration, but which, as will be understood in the art, are usuallymade up of a number of slats longitudinally of the walls. The walls areconnected at the corners by suitable angle irons 5 which vary in designin various crates, and have suitable stacking guides 6 at the uppercorners and suitable edge reinforcements or coverings, as the elements1, which guides and coverings also may vary in difierent crates. Ourinvention is not'particularly concerned with these details.

Also old in the art are certain details of the interior supporting andpartition structure of the crate, such as the longitudinal partitionrods 8 and the cross partition rods 9, having their ends suitablysecured in the end and side walls I and 2 and 3 and 4, respectively, andthe lower bottle support rods I0, in pairs, one pair for each row ofbottles longitudinally of the crate, and parallel support rods I I, therods Ill and I I being suitably secured in the end walls I and 2. Alsowell known in the art are cross beams I2, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 asstrips of sheet metal with their widths vertical and bent to have endears I3 riveted to the crate side walls 3 and 4, and having the rods I0and II passing through them; thus forming a firm support which receivesthe bottoms of the bottles, one of each of which is inserted down into acompartment formed by the crossing partition ,'rods 8 and 9, or by a rod8 and a rod 9' and adjacent corner portions of the crate walls I and 3,2and 3, 2 and 4 or I and 4, as the case may be. The bottle support rods Ill also are provided with cushioning coverings receiving the bottoms ofthe bottles, indicated in Fig. l as rubber tubes I4 slipped onto therods It previous to assembling the interior structure. Also, thecrossing partition rods 8 and 9 have plates I5 with portions embracingthe rods and serving to retain ice for cooling the bottles of milk, asis known in the art; and in Fig. 2, clips I6 embrace the crossing rods 8and 9, reinforcing the rods as do the ice retaining plates of Fig. 1,but not having the ice retaining capacity of said plates, these also notbeing particularly concerned in our invention.

Any of the above described details may vary, as they do in variouscrates known in the art.

Our invention is concerned with cushioning the bottles at their sides toprevent scraping and noise making impact with the partition rods 8 and9, and, when the ice retaining plates I5 are used, with these plates.

As we prefer to provide for this cushioning, we include in the interiorstructure of the crate a series of vertical wires or rods I1 and I8 asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, which, respectively, connect the longitudinalrods 8 to the lower support rods II, and the cross partition rods 9 tothe lower beams I2. serve to tie the upper and lower elements togetherintermediate of the places of crossing of the rods 8 and 9, making astronger interior structure to the crate; and they serve to support aminimum of cushioning material for action in a very effective manner. I

As herein shown, and as is preferred, the cushioning means consists oftubes IQ of suitable cushioning material, preferably rubber, placedaround the rods or wires I! and I8 prior to assembly of the elements,and extending from the upper ends of these rods or wires H and I8,adjacent to the upper partition rods or wires 8 and 9, down to theconnection of the vertical rods or wires I7 and I8 to the lower rods IIand the cross beams I2, so as to be held against substantial up and downmovement on the rods or wires I! and I8.

Thus positioned, these vertical cushions I9 afford continuous guides forthe bottle being inserted, and engage the sides of the bottle, after itis inserted in a compartment, sufficiently near the bottom and near thetop of the body of the bottle to prevent material wiggling of the bottlein the compartment, so that the bottle does not, either while beinginserted or afterward, make contact with the partition wires or rods 8and 9, nor with the plates I5, although these plates have arcuateportions Ilia which give to those compartments away from the crate wallsa substantally circular inlet space, and to those next the crate wallsmore or less completely circular inlet spaces.

It will be seen also that, although we have not shown part tion elementsat levels higher or lower than that of the rods 8 and 9, if such wereprovided, these vertical cushioning elements would prevent contact withsuch partit on elements. This effective cushioning is due to thevertical extent of the cushioning means I9 relai tve to the height ofthe bottle bodies; being a major portion of said height.

This is an improvement as to durability of the crate as compared withcushion means extending only partly down from the upper to the lowerinterior structure; and also, due to the complete extension, orextension amounting to a major portion of the height of the body of thebottle, the prevention of impact of the bottle against partition orplate elements is insured, whereas 7 cushion means having substantiallyless up and down extension allows impact, especially if the plates I5 ortheir equivalents are used.

The built-up construction of our device also is an advantage over aconstruction involving These vertical rods or wires I1 and I8 thusintegral formations between which the cushion material must beassembled, and other constructions in which the cushion material isdependent for support upon integral parts which may break off. Each oneof our cushion bearing rods or wires I! or I8 has the cushion materialreadily applied to it in assembly, and is readily replaceable, and if ofsuch nature that its breakage from the rest of the structure is notliable to occur, owing not only to firm attachment, but to slightflexibility of the parts, all of which, though firm enough to servetheir purposes, are thin and flexible enough to yield to the extentwhich will avoid their breakage.

In all of the examples shown, although we are not limited to suchconnection, the vertical cushion bearing wires or rods I1 and I8 areconnected to the rods 8 and 9, respectively, by welding. Each wire orrod I! or I8 has its upper end part 28 bent at right angles to its mainvertical portion, and this end part 28 lies along under the rod 8 or 9and is welded thereto throughout its length, preferably by arc welding.This makes these vertical rods practically integral with the horizontalrods. This welding of course is done after the horizontal rods 8 and 9have been passed through their connecting plates I5 or their connectingclips I6. Prior to connecting these vertical rods I1 and I8 to the lowerelements, the cushion tubes I 9 are slipped onto them. I

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the Vertical rods I! have their lower endparts 2I flattened, with apertures through which the lower support rodsII are passed. Instead of this, the lower end parts of these rods, asthe rods ll of Fig. 3, may be formed into eyes 2Ia through which thelower support rods I I are passed, as best seen in Fig. 6. As shown inFigs. 1 and 2, the other vertical rods I8 have merely straight lowerends to slip into sockets 22 made by slitting the cross beams I2 andpressing out small strip portions; the rods preferably fitting rathertightly in these sockets 22. Where channel beams I2a are used in placeof the strip beams I2, as in. Figs. 3 and 8, the straight lower endparts of the rods I8 merely slip down into openings 23 in the top websof the beams; being understood preferably to fit rather tightly in theopenings 23.

In either case of lower securing of the vertical cushion bearing rods I!and I8, or I I and I8, the support rods II being embraced by the lowerend parts of the rods I! or I1 and the latter being firmly attached tothe upper partition rods 8, the tieing of the upper and lower structurestogether is effective without provision for attaching the other verticalrods I8 to the cross beams I2 or I2a against relative up and downmovement. However, we are not to be understood as being limited toabsence of such attachment as the latter one referred to.

Modifications other than those instanced herein may occur, and we arenot to be understood as being limited to the examples herein disclosed,

' but what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A bottle-crate comprising a lower bottlesupporting structure made upof beams and rods extending through the beams, and comprising an uppercompartment-forming structure made up of crossing elements, uprightmembers connected to said crossing elements, each of lateral extentclosely restricted to a vertical line substantially midway betweenplaces of crossing of said elements, each of certain ones of saidupright memdisconnected from a rod or beam, as the case may be.

2. A bottle-crate as set forth in claim 1, in which the upright membersare so connected to 5 the therein mentioned crossing elements as to bepermanently unitary therewith.

FRED G. KRUEGER. FRED H. HUDEPOHL.

